Missiles over London

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Jennifer: Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Jennifer and with me today is Neil. Neil: Hi Jennifer! Jennifer: Today's story is about providing protection during the Olympic Games in London. The UK government is going to place missile at six sites around the capital. And it has been controversial. Neil: Yes, people have very different opinions about the issue and they don't shy away from expressing them and arguing. I'm not surprised. If I had some powerful explosives sitting just a few metres above my head I wouldn't feel safe at all. Jennifer: Well, but the authorities might have a point when they say they are concerned about threats to security in London. Since the London Underground bombings in 2005, threat levels in the city have been high and the Olympics will be watched by millions around the world. Neil: Indeed, it is a high profile event. Jennifer: Let's make the Olympic Movement the theme for our traditional quiz today before we talk further about these weapons – the missiles. The question for our listeners is: What inspired the creation of the Paralympic Games? Was it:a) A tradition from Ancient Olympia,b) The Crimean War c) World War II Neil: I know this one. The answer is… Jennifer: No! Please don't Neil. I know you know this one and we have to give our listeners a chance to guess. So this time, you keep quiet. Neil: Not easy, I'm bursting to tell everybody as we have been getting loads of information about these fascinating games here in Britain. But I'll be good to keep the suspense going... Jennifer: And meanwhile let's get back to our story about the missiles. Listen out for who is particularly unhappy about the missiles. This is a report by the BBC correspondent Rob Broomby.

BBC correspondent Rob Broomby The surface-to-air missiles would be placed at six sites around London including in a public park and the most controversial – on top of a residential tower block. The intention is to boost London's existing air defences and send a signal to the public, and would-be plotters,that the Olympic sites will be protected. But the residents of the 117 apartments in one affected block say it imposes what they called a 'high explosive missile salvo' on the roof,which puts their lives at risk. Neil: The people who live in a residential tower block. Jennifer: Tall buildings full of apartments were one of the choices to place the weapons. The authorities want to send a signal to the public that they will be protected! Neil: The signal sent to me – the message – was not exactly of protection… Jennifer: But the signal goes also to would-be plotters … Neil: People who might be making terrorist plans like in 2005. Jennifer: But the BBC reporter points out that the 117 residents feel a bit like you in this case. They think that the missiles have been imposed on them and that their presence on their roof could put their lives at risk. Neil: It is a government decision and they feel they have no choice in the matter. They feel that they can't say: no, thanks! Jennifer: And they've got themselves a solicitor. Let's hear what he has to say about this 'imposition'. Resident's solicitor ''These tenants are not used to having soldiers coming in and out their front door, going up and down their lifts, having soldiers with high velocity missiles on top of the roof. That really does affect their private life, their family life and their home.